Looper mechanism for sewing-machines



Patented .Iuly l2, |898. F. H. RICHARDS LOOPEB MECHANISM FORSEWINGMACHINES.

(Application led Sept. 20, 1897.)

(No Mdel.)

2 Sh'eets-Sheet 'd No. 607,080. 'Patented luly l2, |898.

F. H. RICHARDS.

LUOPEB MECHANISM FOR SEWING MACHINES.

(Appliemion med sept. 20, 1807.)

(No Model.) 2 Sheeis-hSheet 2.

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rrron@ 'FRANCIS H. RICHARDS, OF HARTFORD, CONNECTICUT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 607,080, dated July 12,1898.

Application filed September 20,1897. Serial No. 652,242. (No model.)

To all whom, t 11u03/ concern:

Beit known that I, FRANCIS H. RICHARDS, a citizen of the United States,residing at Hartford, in the county of Hartford and State ofConnecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in LooperMechanism for Sewing-liachines, of which the following is aspecification.

This invention relates to looper mechanism for a sewing-machine of thatclass in which a rotary looper or shuttle is employed for engaging theloop of the needle-thread and for carrying the same entirely'around saidlooper to inclose a second 'or lower thread to thereby form alock'stitch or in which said looper carries a succeeding loop through apreceding loop to thereby form achain-stitch- In a looper mechanismwherein a rotary looper having a series of driver sockets formed in oneface thereof is employed and setto rotate at an angle oblique to thedriver and wherein the looper-driver is provided with a series of pinsto enter the sockets in and rotate the looper it has been found inpractice that owing to the relatively oblique angles of movements of andthe resultant rolling action between the looper and driver it wasnecessary for the purpose of facilitating afree movement of thedriver-pinswhen engaging and disengaging the looper to form thedriversockets of the looper of considerably greater area than thedriver-pins, and for this reason it was impossible to secure such acooperative engagement between the driver-pins and the Walls of thesockets 'as would enable the driver to support the looper positively andobviate diametrical vibratory movement of said looper relatively to thedriver, as is well appreciated by those familiar with this class oflooper mechanisms.

One object of my present invention is to provide an improved rotaryloopervmechanis'm for sewing-machines in which the driver and looper areso constructed that they will coop erate in a manner somewhat similar tothat of two intermeshing gears' with a rolling action and in whichengaging portions of the looper and driver are so constructed that saiddriver will positively support the looper in iixed peripheral relationwith `the axis of and obviate vibratory movement of such looperrelatively to said driver and also to provide as an element of thelooper mechanism means whereby the looper will be guided in its rota-'tation, be held as against movement transversely of its path ofrotation, and be left free, so far as the guiding means is concerned,for diametrical movement.

A further object of the invention is to furnish a looper mechanism forsewing-machines comprehending a looper having one or more peripheralloop-takers and also having in one side face thereof a series of socketsor recesses, the outer and inner end walls of which vare spherical andconcentric to a common center, and a looper-driver supported with itsaxis oblique to the axis of movement of the looper and having a seriesof projections or driverteeth, the outer and inner end faces of whichare of spherical conformation corresponding to and which cooperate withthe spherical walls of the looper recesses or sockets for sup- 'portionof the bed of a sewing-machine, on an enlarged scale, showing thepreferred form of looper and looper-guide in full lines and thelooper-driver in dotted lines. Fig. 3 is a vertical section taken on aline corresponding with the dotted line d a, Fig.` 2, and showing thesame parts as seen from the right in said figure. Fig. 4 is an elevationof the looperdriver and looper, partially in section, as seen from Vtheright in Fig. 3, rollers being shown in full and dotted lines forguiding the looper. Fig. 5 is a side elevation of the looper, showingthe same with a complete circuit of driversockets, theA construction ofthe looper in said figure being inthe nature of a modification of thatillustrated in the preceding figures. Fig. 6 is a cross-sectional viewof the looper, taken in dotted line b b, Fig. 5, looking toward the leftin said figure. Fig. 7 is a side IOC) and illustrating by radial linesthe pitch cones or angles of the teeth of said looper and driver. Fig.10 is a cross-section of a portion of the looper, showing twodriver-sockets and two driver-teeth seated therein; and Fig. 11 is adiagrammatic perspective View of a portion of the looper-driver,illustrating the spherical curvature of the ends of the driver-teeth andthe angles of the side faces of said teeth.

Similar characters designate like parts in all the figures of thedrawings.

The looper mechanism, in which the essence of my present inventionresides, is applicable to various kinds of sewing-machin es 5 but forconvenience said mechanism is shown in connection with a sewing-machinewhich in general construction and organization is substantially the sameas that described in my Patent No. 574,573, dated January 5, 1897, onlyso much of said sewing-machine being shown in the drawings as is deemednecessary clearly to illustrate the application and mode of operation ofmy improved looper mechanism with relation to the other coperativeelements of a sewing-machine.

The framework F of the machine, which may be of any suitableconstruction, is shown comprising a horizontal bed-plate 2, having thebracket 2 and a removable throat-plate 3 at one end thereof, the hollowupright 4 at the opposite end of the bed-plate, the hollow horizontalarm 5 above the bed-plate, and the vertical needle-bar-receiving head 6at the outer end of the arm 5 and above the throatplate 3. As in themajority of sewing-machines of this class, the stitch-forming mechanismas a whole comprises three principal mechanisms-to wit, the needlemechanism, the looper mechanism, and the feeding mechanism--all of whichare connected for cooperative and properly-timed movements.

The needle mechanism shown in the accompanyipg drawings comprises aneedle-bar N, supported for reci procatory movement in the head 6 of theframe and having a needle N at the lower end thereof, aneedle-bar-actuating shaft D, journaled in the arm 5 of the machine, anda connecting-actuator C (shown as a crank and arm) between said shaftand needle-bar, the needle-actuating shaft being furnished with aband-wheel 7, whereby the same may be driven.

The feed mechanism is shown comprising a universal feed-lever 8,actuated by a cam 9, fixed to a vertical shaft D', connected by a trainof gears CZ to the needle-bar-actuating shaft D.

The looper mechanism is shown comprising a looper S, a combined loopersupport and driver S, disposed with its axis oblique to the axis ofrotation of the looper, and a driver-actuating shaft D2, connected by atrain of gears d' to the intermediate or feedlever-actuating shaft D.While the arrangement illustrated is preferable, yet, as is obvious, thelooper may be located in a vertical plane and the driver disposed at anangle thereto, if desired.

The looper S has a series of peripherallydisposedloop-takers or hooks,(designated by 10,) and also has in the side face thereof a series ofrecesses or sockets, each of which is designated by 12, and each ofwhich has inner and outer end-wall faces 13 and 14,which are sphericaland are concentric to a common center, (designated by 50, Fig. 9.)

In the preferred form thereof (illustrated most clearly in Figs. 1a, 3,4, 9, and 10 of the drawings) the sockets 1:3 of the looper are shown inthe nature of recesses adapted to receive driver projections having theform of bevel gear-teeth and are disposed circumferentially with respectto the axisof the looper in three approximately equidistant sets orsegments, said sockets havinginner and outer end walls whose inneradjacent faces 13 and 14 are curved in two relatively transversedirections and in arcs that are concentric to a common center, and whichsockets or recesses are wholly located between the periphery and Vaxisof said looper.

In contradistinction to the usual method of supporting a looper of thisclass by means of circumferentially-disposed rolls the looper, which inthe present instance is disposed to rotate in a path oblique to the lineof movement of the needle, is held as against movement transversely ofits plane of rotation in a guiderace Gr. This guide-race G is shownfixed to the head 2 of the framework of the machine in position tosurround the lower portion of the` periphery of the looper, and hasopposing parallel guide races or faces 15 and 1b', engaging parallelguide faces at opposite sides of the peripheral track 18 of the looperand forming between them a particircular air reservoir or chamber, whichduring the rotation of the looper maintains a plenum of air forcushioning the looper, thus facilitating the free rotation of saidlooper in the guide without the application of oil to the race.

The guide-race G is so constructed and is so disposed with relation tothe looper that a space is provided between the perimeter of said looperand the inner wall of the channel in said race. This race does notconstitute a peripheral support for said looper, but, on the contrary,leaves the same free diametrically and facilitates the slight vibratorymovement of the looper, to which it may be subjected from the pullingstress of loops as they pass around the same, and which is provided forby the construction and organization of the looper-driver. Y It isobvious, however, that the looper may be guided and be permitted to havevibration by rolls 70, having` IOO.

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grooves '70' to receive the peripheral track 1S, as shown in Fig. 4, ifdesired.

'Io facilitate a slight diametrical movement of the looper and driverfor the purpose of easing the strain on the loop during the passagethereof around the looper, the driver S may in practice be fitted to itsdriving-shaft B2 in such manner as to permit slight lateral play, butnot suiiicient to cause the same to Wabble during the rotation thereof.

The looper-driver, which also constitutes a looper-support, comprises,in the preferred form thereof, (illustrated in Figs. l to 4, inclusive,of the drawings,) a hub 2l, which is fixed to the driving-shaft B2, anda series of radial arms extending from said hub and each having at theouter end a series of .driver projections or teeth of a lconformationcorresponding to and adapted to iit the driversockets in the looper,said projections, which are shown in the nature of theoretically-correctbevel-gear teeth, having their outer and inner ends 23 and 24,respectively, spherical and concentric to the common center 50, theangles of the side faces of said gear-teeth being represented by thelines 'm' m, Fig. 9, and coinciding with the angles of the opposing sidefaces of the socket-walls of the looper, whose angles are represented bythe lines n' fn. in said Fig. 9.

The looper, in the form thereof shown in the accompanying drawings, hastwo opposing guide walls or faces l5 and 16 contiguous to the peripherythereof and located in parallel planes, and the looper-guide G isconstructed and disposed, as hereinbefore described, to hold the looperagainst movement laterally of its path of rotation and free for movementtransversely of its axis of rotation.

. In the construction and organization of the looper and driverillustrated in the accompanying drawings it will be seen that portionsof the looper during the rotation thereof move successively toward andaway from the teeth of the driver and that the successive sets ofprojections or driver-teeth are alternately brought into and out fromengagement with the sockets of the looper,certain of said driverteethbeing in and certain out of operative engagement with the loopersimultaneously. Furthermore, it will be seen that the looper and drivercoperate in a manner similar to two intermeshing bevel-gears, andtherefore to secure such proper working engagement between the driverand looper that the driverteeth Willfreely enter the sockets of saidlooper and at the same time have a close bearing engagementwith theWalls thereof I have found it desirable, owing to the peculiar angles ofmovement of the looper and driver, to furnish the projections of theformer and the socket-walls of the latter with cooperative faces ofpeculiar construction. The novel structure of the driver-teeth and theWalls of the looper-sockets resides in the spherical structure or thepeculiar curvilinear formation of the inner and outer end faces of saidand the other, as 61, (see Fig. 9,) being transverse to said plane, andboth arcs being preferably concentric to the theoretical cone-center ofthe driver and looper, and the outer' and inner end faces of thelooper-driver teeth are of spherical formation, corresponding to and areadapted for cooperating with the spherical Walls of the looper-sockets,whereby to support said looper during rotation thereof,- as will bereadily understood by reference to the figures referred to.

In Fig. 4 of the drawings the looper is shown in dotted and full linessomewhat in the nature of a mutilated or intermittent wheel having threesets of tooth-like sockets or mortises, two mortises in each set, andthe mortises are shown having outer and inner end walls, the adjacentfaces of which are curved in a direction transversely to the path ofrotation of the wheel in arcs concentric to a common center and are alsocurved in the direction of rotation of said wheel in arcs concentric toa common center, and the looper-driver is somewhat in the nature of amutilated or intermittent bevel-gear having three sets of approximatelyequidistantly-disposed driving projections or teeth having inner andouter end faces curved Y in two relatively transverse directions in arcsconcentric to the aforesaid common centers and coinciding to andcoperating with the end walls of the looper mortises or recesses forsupporting said looper during rotation thereof.

- In Figs. 5 to 8, inclusive, the looper isshown having a completecircuit of driver-socketsv or mortises, each of which is of a structurecoinciding with the structure shown in Figs.

3 and 4, and the looper-driver is shown hav-- ing a complete circuit ofdriver projections, each of which corresponds in structure to thatillustrated in Figs. 3, 4, and 11.

In Figs. 5 and 6 an annular recess 26 of requisite depth is shown formedin the side face of said looper, and an annulus 25, having a circuit ofradial grooves or recesses, is shown xed in the annular recess of saidlooper, the adjacent faces of the annular recessed portion of the looperbeing curved in two directions and forming end walls for the grooves Aorrecesses of the annuluswhen the parts are assembled.

From the foregoing it will be understood that both the looper and driverhave corresponding driving-faces and corresponding looper-carryingbearing-faces. The drivingfaces of the looperare shown in the drawingsas the side faces of the sockets or recesses thereof and the`looper-carrying or bearing faces are illustrated as the sphericalV endwalls of said recesses, whereas the corresponding driving-faces andlooper-carrying faces of the driver are shown, respectively, as the sidefaces and end faces of the teeth or projections of said driver. Inthejdrawings these faces are disposed in a circle; but it will beobvious that the disposition of these faces with relation to the axis ofthe looper or driver is an arbitrary matter and that, if desired, someof the driving and carrying faces may be disposed more remote from theaxis of rotation than others. IIence I do not wish to limit thisinvention to the particular location or disposition of the snccessivedriving-faces and bearing-faces with relation to the axis of the looperor driver. In the drawings the spherical opposing bearing-faces of thelooper are designated, respectively, by 115 and 14, and the opposingdriving-faces of said looper are designated, respectively, by 13 andla', whereas the spherical end bearing-faces of each of the driverprojections are designated by 2b and 24, and the opposing driving-facesof each driving` projection are designated by 23 and 241.

For the purpose of facilitating an unobstructed passage of the loopwhile being carried aro und the looper, whereby to permit the sa-me tobe drawn ont in the usual manner, the front faces 2S of the soclietedportions of the looper and the front faces 29 of the projections orteeth of the looper-driver are beveled or inclined in substantialparallel lines, a clearance-space 30 being provided between the ends ofthe driver-teeth and the adjacent upper end of the looper.

By furnishing the looper with sockets and the driver with teeth of theconstruction hereinbefore described said parts will mesh with precisionand the outer and inner ends of the driver-teeth will have a closebearing engagement with the outer and inner end walls of thelooper-sockets and will support said looper against vibratory movementrelatively to the axis of rotation of said driver.

During the rotation of the looper it will be readily apparent that thechannel of the guide-race G, into which the periphery of the looperextends, will be supplied with air, which will cushion said looper andcause the same to rotate freely without the necessity of lubrication.

I do not desire to limit this invention to the employment of theparticular guide-race G illustrated in the accompanying drawings, asother forms of guides may be employed in lieu thereof without departurefrom my present invention.

From the foregoing description and by reference to the accompanyingdrawings it will be seen that the looper S is supported for rotation ina path oblique to the path of rotation of the driver and that byproviding the looper with driving projections or teeth havingspherically-formed outer and inner faces to engage in said sockets I amenabled to secure a perfect working engagement between the looper anddriver and obviate detrimental frictional resistance inherent to loopermechanisms of this class as heretofore constructed.

In connection with the foregoing description it is desired to state thatwhile it is preferable to form the recesses of the looper with theirside walls radial to a common center I do not desire to limit myself tothe particular form of recess, so far as the side walls are concerned,illustrated in the drawings, las it will be understood that the sidewalls of the recesses may be of any desired contour.

In Figs. et and 5 the horizontal dotted line In, n indicates the planeat which the supporting projections of the looper-driver engage thelooper during the rotation thereof, the circles o o in said figuresillustrating, respectively, the points of engagement and disengagementbetween the projections of the driver and looper. Thus it will be seenthat the supporting projections of the driver have a positive engagementwith the looper throughout more than one-half of its arc of rotation andthat the spherical supportingfaces of the looper exert a stress in aradial direction relatively to the axis of rotation of said looper andpositively hold said looper against vibratory movement transversely ofthe axis of rotation of the driver.

It will be of course understood that what is herein termed the drivermight be provided, in addition to the projections havingspherically-formed outer and inner faces for cooperating with thcspherical supportingwalls of the looper and supporting said looper, withindependent driving instrumentalities for said looper.

I'Iaving described my invention, I claiml. Alooper having in the sideface thereof a series of recesses the adjacent faces of the end walls ofwhich are spherical and concentric to a common center, combined with adriver having a series of projections the outer and inner end faces ofwhich correspond in structure to the wall-faces of the looper-recessesand cooperate with said faces to support the looper.

2. A rotary looper having a series of recesses formed in one side facebetween the axis and periphery thereof and the inner and outer walls ofwhich have spherical inner faces, in combination with alooper-supporting driver having projections adapted to enter saidrecesses, and which projections have inner and outer faces correspondingto, and cooperative with, the spherical faces of the recess-walls ofsaid looper for holding said looperin fixed relation to the axis ofrotation of said driver.

3. A discoidal looper having in the side face, remote from the peripherythereof, a series of tooth-like recesses bridged at their inner andouter ends by webs or walls having spherical inner faces concentric to acommon center, combined with a looper-driver having driving teeth orprojections corresponding to,

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and constructed to fit, the looper-recesses whereby the outer and innerend faces of the driver-teeth Will coperate with the adjacent faces ofthe end Webs which bridge the looperrecesses and support the looper.

4. rlhe combination of a driving and a driven membersupportedincoperative relation,and one of said members havin gaseries ofdriversockets formed in one face thereof Whose inner and outer end Wallsare spherical, and the other of said members having a series ofdriver-teeth whose outer and inner faces are spherical and are adaptedto cooperate with I the spherical Walls of the other member to supportsaid member, and means for rotating the driving member.

5. The combination of a driving and a driven member supported incoperative relation With their axes oblique to each other, and one ofsaid members having a series of driver-sock ets formedin one facethereof,remote from the periphe1y,\vhose inner and outer end walls arecurved in two relatively transverse directions and in arcs concentric toa common center,and the other of said members having a series ofdriver-teeth Whose outer and inner end faces are curved in tworelatively transverse directions in arcs concentric to a common centerand are adapted to coperate with the curved Walls of the other member tosupport said member during rotation; means for rotating the drivingmember; and means for guiding, and for preventing lateral movement of,the driven member.

6. The combination of a driving and a driven member supported incoperative relation With their axes oblique to each other, and one ofsaid members having a series of driversockets formed in one face thereofWhose inner and outer end Walls are spherical and concentric to a commoncenter, and the other of said members having a series ofdriverteethWhose outer and inner faces are spherical and concentric tosaid common centerand are adapted to coperate With the spherical wallsof the other member to support said member against diametrical movement,and means for guiding, and for preventing lateral movement of, thedriven member.

7. The combiuation,in a looper mechanism, of a rotary looper having aseries of peripheral hooks or loop-takers and having in one face thereofa series of recesses the adjacent faces of the inner and outer Walls ofWhich are spherical and concentric to a point coincident with the axisof rotation of said looper; a looper-driver supported with its axisoblique to the axis of, and having a series of bevel-gear teeth disposedto enter the recesses in, said looper, and which teeth have their outerand inner end faces spherical and concentric to the point ofintersection of the axes of the looper and driver; and guiding means forsaid looper.

8. A looper mechanism for sewing-machines, comprehendin g a rotarylooper having a series of circumferentially-disposed driver-socketsformed in one face thereof, and each socket having theinner end Wallthereof curved in intersecting lines concentric to a common center; arotary looper-supporting driver in cooperative relation With the looperand having a series of circumferentially disposed driving projectionseach of which has its outer and inner ends curved in intersecting linesin coincidingarcs concentric to the aforesaid common center; actuatingmeans for the driver; and a'guiding-face peripherally disposed Withrelation to, and holding, the looper against movement transversely ofits plane of rotation.

9. A rotary looper having a series of recesses in one face between andremote from the periphery and axis thereof, and the adjacent faces oftheinner and outer end Walls of which recesses are spherical andconcentric to the cone center of said recesses, combined With drivingmeans for said looper.

10. A Wheel having intaglio bevel gearteeth formed in the side faceWholly between the periphery and axis thereof, and the adjacent faces ofthe inner and outer end Walls of the tooth-spaces of Which are sphericaland concentric to the cone center of the teeth, combined with asupporting device having corresponding bevel-gear teeth Whose outer andinner end Walls are spherical and concentric to the cone center of theintaglio teeth of said Wheel and which cooperate With the sphericalfaces of the intaglio-teeth spaces for supporting said Wheel.

11. In a looper mechanism, the combination, with a rotary looper, of achanneled guide-race extending around the lower portion of the peripheryof said looper and holdingthe same against movement transversely of itsplane of rotation, the construction and disposition of said race beingsuch as to provide an air-space between the inner Wall of the channeland the perimeter of said looper, and means independent of theguide-race for supporting and rotating said looper.

12. In a looper mechanism, the combination of a rotary looper having aseries of recesses in one face thereof Whose outer and inner end Wallsare spherical and concentric to a common center; a rotary driver havinga series of beveLgear teeth conforming to the recesses of the looper andadapted for supporting and rotating said looper; and a guideracesupported below, and surrounding a portion of, the perimeter of saidlooper andhaving a channel for retaining a plenum of air to cushion saidlooper.

13. The combination, with a rotatable looper having opposing guidefacesin parallel planes, of a guide constructed to engage the looperguide-faces and hold the looper free IOO IIO

14. In asewing-1nachine1o0per mechanism, `and each having driving-facesfor rotating ro the combination of a rotatable looper and a the looperwith and by the driver, and nonrotary looper-carrying driver locatedWith its looper-supporting means holding the looper aXis of rotationinclined to the axis of rotaagainst lateral movement and free for move-5 tion of the looper, said looper and the driver ment transversely ofits axis of rotation.

each having a series of corresponding bear- FRANCIS II. RICHARDS.ingfaces disposed in a circuit and engaging Vitnesses: the faces of thelooper With the correspond- F. N. CHASE,

ing faces of the driver to support the looper, HENRY BISSELL.

